Films to See: “The People Garden”

Nadia Litz has written and directed this unique story of grief and moving on. Sweetpea (Dree Hemingway, great granddaughter of Ernest) travels to a remote forest near Mount Fuji, Japan to end her relationship with her rock-star boyfriend Jamie (François Arnaud). She arrives at the airport expecting to see Jamie but is met by enigmatic Mak (Jai West) who takes her to a mysterious forest where Jamie is filming his latest music video. Except Jamie is missing and Sweetpea’s efforts to find him lead her to clash with the music video’s model, Signe (Pamela Anderson) and draw guarded attention from Mak. In this beautiful and sinister setting, Sweetpea must face the truth about what she wants while she helps Mak free himself from his own secret pain.

Why You Might Like “The People Garden”

“The People Garden” is an intricacy of subtle acting and cinematic language that delivers deeper meaning. Cinephiles will appreciate that the story is in the details – from the forest’s sinister allure to simple objects like the brown paper bags – the first of which is secreted away beneath Mak’s bed – that gradually become powerful symbols. In the final scene of 2 characters driving away from Mount Fuji, each one holds a paper bag. These objects are by now so infused with meaning that the scene leads us to a satisfying conclusion. You can view the trailer and buy tickets for “The People Garden” here.

Written by Cathie McCready
Cathie McCready is a film-buff who is writing her 1st novel.